By Magnus Eze
The cheering news came recently from the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association (FEPSAN) that Nigeria would begin to export fertiliser in the next five years, going by the programme of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI).
FEPSAN executive secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Rabiu Kwa, who gave the assurance in Abuja, said the PFI strategy had led to the revival of 11 fertiliser blending plants across the country with six others coming on stream this month, and was now working towards increasing production for export.
While the innovative efforts of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), also known as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, had substantially brought down the price of fertilizer, ended fertilizer subsidy and ensured the availability of the commodity, some farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) still complain of not being able to afford the commodity.
Their situation was further compounded by the alleged hijack of interventions from politicians in the area. FCT Senator, Philip Aduda, had on April 29, 2017, presented six truckloads of fertilizer to the six area councils for distribution to farmers.
Daily Sun also gathered that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) administration, headed by Abdullahi Candido, and his counterparts in Bwari (Musa Dikko) and Kuje (Abdulahi Galadima) also gave out subsidised fertilizer to farmers.
Dikko, at the official launch of the distribution of 60 metric tonnes of fertiliser and other farming items to farmers in Bwari last month, said the gesture was to encourage farming.
He said: “We will ensure every farmer benefits from the distribution of these products because we have brought the price down to the lowest level you can get in the market.
“A bag of fertiliser that costs N7,000 will be sold at N1,400; a knapsack sprayer, which costs N7,500 will be sold at N1,500 each. A 50kg bag of rice will be sold at N200, while 50kg bag of maize will be sold at N300, we are sure these amounts will not be expensive for farmers in the community.’’
Dikko further promised to establish a committee, made up of district heads, community leaders and ward councillors, to ensure equitable sale of the items.
He said that official reports would be expected from the committee at the end of every sale to ensure accountability.
But the head of the agriculture department in the council, Dr. Godwin Abah, has identified paucity of funds as a major challenge against fertiliser distribution in the community.
Though a predominantly farming area, the council spent N10 million to procure about 1,200 bags of fertilizer, 115 sprayers; 200kg improved seeds of rice and 400kg of maize to be distributed to farmers.
However, farmers who spoke to our reporter complained that the interventions of the area councils did not only come late but were also not significant, especially for a government that has talked much about agriculture.
For instance, while Bwari distributed 1,200 bags of fertilizer in July, Kuje only kicked off the exercise two weeks ago.
Even at that, farmers alleged that several of the inputs, including the batch from their senator, were diverted by those entrusted to distribute them, mainly non-farmers who sold them for financial benefit. They claimed that the development affected their farming activities negatively this year.
The farmers have vried foul, accusing the foot soldiers of the politicians in rural areas of hijacking the fertilizer meant for farmers. They maintained that the distribution process was riddled with dirty deals.
Farmers in Kagini, Karu, Kuje and some other communities of the FCT alleged that most of the beneficiaries in their areas were not farmers.
A farmer in Kagini, Dantani Sabo, said, “I heard that a hundred bags of fertilizer were sent to this place, but only two measures were given to me.
“What will a farmer do with just two mudu of fertilizer that is not up to a bag? I’m a complete farmer that needs at least 10 bags upward.”
Similarly, the village head of Kaba in AMAC, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar, flayed representatives of politicians in his area over the sharing process of the fertilizer meant for farmers.
Abubakar confirmed that he was invited to Apo, venue of the fertilizer distribution, but he only heard of it and could not get a bag.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has exposed the new tactics adopted by fraudsters who adulterate fertiliser in the country even as government has crashed the price of the product.
“We have reduced the price of fertiliser to N5,500 nationwide, but the problem we have now is that some people, fraudsters, are now using bags that bear Federal Government and its logo to sell adulterated fertiliser.
“We are warning both merchants and blending companies to desist from such activities, because we will go after them and, when caught, they will have a long walk with the police and the court,” Ogbeh said.